Published: 13 October, 2012
by PAUL COWLING at Wembley

World Cup Qualifying Group H
ENGLAND 5, SAN MARINO

"NO easy games in football" is a tired cliché, but it's also not true, at least when it comes to San Marino – a small nation the size of a Tottenham home crowd, and one of the worst national sides in the world.

A near sell out family crowd, with their clackers and kazoos, came in expectation of goals in this attack v defence, Group H match.

But as this is England, the home fans got a paltry five.

Only the likes of Spain, Holland and Germany could put such footballing tripe to the unceremonial sword. England are simply second rate, and this score and display confirmed it.

With San Marino playing in Italian blue, those in the Wembley crowd would be in dreamland if England could put together this much possession (86%) against the proper Azzurri.

But, such is England's inability to keep the ball, even against pub league standard opposition, it took them just a minute to lose possession from kick off, and a further two minutes before they managed their first shot on goal – a fine strike from Arsenal's Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, which was tipped over the bar by Aldo Simoncini, who proved to be the busier of the two keepers on the night. Joe Hart could have caught up on a few DVD box sets.

Hart's opposite number could have been sent off after only four minutes. Theo Walcott was put through on goal by Wayne Rooney, but the Arsenal man was accidentally taken out by the San Marino keeper. That was the end of Walcott's night, which was later spent in hospital with a nasty chest injury.

Tottenham's Aaron Lennon – recalled to the England team for the first time in two years – came on for Walcott.

But the Spurs winger went on to have a poor game with too many blind runs, and poor passes – as did his Tottenham team-mate Kyle Walker.

The collective Wembley groans first started on thirteen minutes with England lacking that killer pass against a 4-5-1 formation, going on 1-10-0.

England's outfield 10 tried too many elaborate back heels which hardly ever came off, or played misplaced passes. When they got the ball into the box, the busy Simoncini handled well.

The game finally livened up on 33 minutes. Michael Carrick teed up a shot which hit the bar, and Welbeck's follow up hit the post. A minute later, Simoncini brought down the United striker, and Wayne Rooney smashed in the penalty.

It was 2-0 on 36 minutes, when Welbeck smartly back-heeled Lennon's cross.

Simoncini, the busier of the two keepers, saved well from Rooney whose curling shot was tipped away for a corner. 2-0 at half time.

The second half started with more misplaced England passes, and San Marino kicking the ball to nowhere.

Rooney finally got England's third with a well angled shot on 69 minutes, while three minutes later Tom Cleverley set up Welbeck for a tap in and 4-0.

With San Marino tiring, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain popped up for England's fifth in the 77th minute.

England began to look desperate as the final minutes ticked by, as they went in search of more goals, though coach Roy Hodgson was more than happy with the five goals and the team's overall performance.

"I thought we were patient, and good value for our five goals. It was an entertaining game, and we could have had more goals."

Hodgson was especially pleased with Moldova's home 0-0 draw with group rivals Ukraine, though he admitted that Theo Walcott's injury had put a dampener on the evening."It was a fierce challenge", admitted Hodgson.

Walcott is almost certain to miss the tough away qualifier in Warsaw against Poland.

From a spluttering, 'fooling nobody ' stroll against the minnows of San Marino, to Tuesday night, where England will need to be at their best to get anything against the dangerous Poles.

England: Hart; Walker, Cahill, Jagielka, Baines; Carrick (Shelvey 65), Cleverley, Walcott (Lennon 5), Oxlade-Chamberlain; Rooney (Carroll 72), Welbeck.
Subs: Ruddy, Forster; Cole, Lescott, Shawcross, Milner, Johnson, Defoe
Goals: Rooney 35, pen, 69, Welbeck 37, 72, Oxlade Chamberlain 77
Attendance: 84,654